CBCP wants overhaul of presidential pardon guidelines
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/10/2008 11:50 AM
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The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Friday urged lawmakers to overhaul “outdated” guidelines in granting presidential pardon to prisoners after the controversial release of convicted murderer Claudio Teehankee, Jr.
Rodolfo Diamante, executive secretary of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care, said the guidelines should ensure equal rights to all inmates. He said President Arroyo may or may not be following the criteria listed in granting pardon under the law.
“As it is now, I’m against it [current system]. There should be clear, fair and standard guidelines to be followed [in granting pardon]…The big problem is the system itself precisely allows the President to abuse it,” he said in an article posted Friday at CBCP’s official Web site.
He said that under the current policy, the President holds the sole authority to grant the executive clemency powers to candidates for pardon. But under the Arroyo administration, however, Diamante said that the granting of presidential pardon is “very selective.”
“That power is discriminately applied…that I can say. Executive clemency is mostly given to people with connections to the one who has the power to grant,” he said.
Diamante earlier said Teehankee is leaving prison without any sign that he has undergone any values formation to indicate that he has changed his ways.
In the case of Teehankee, Diamante noted that there was no indication that he was remorseful for the killing of Maureen Hultman and Roland John Hapman and the near fatal attack on Jussi Leno.
“He was never present whenever we conducted religious or values formation at the National Bilibid Prison,” he noted.
Diamante also questioned the criteria followed by the Bureau of Pardons and Parole in recommending to the President the grant of executive clemency, saying that under the present guidelines, the son of late former Chief Justice Claudio Teehankee is not eligible. Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales had said that Teehankee’s grant of executive clemency was recommended and reviewed by the BPP.
The revised guideline adopted by the BPP in March 2006 states that those meted with life sentence may only be considered for parole if they are 70 years old above and if terminally ill.
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Since Teehankee is only 62, and there are no signs that he is suffering from a terminal disease, then he is not eligible for any recommendation, Diamante pointed out. Teehankee has been sentenced to life in prison and two sentences of prison mayor to reclusion temporal.
“That is why we have doubts whether the BPP really reviewed his case. We want to find out what was the basis of the BPP,” Diamante said. Incidentally, the BPP is chaired by Gonzales.
Since Teehankee does not yet qualify for a review, Diamante said the grant of executive clemency could have been prompted only by political consideration.
Diamante pointed out that there are other prisoners who are eligible for parole but remain in jail for lack of political connections.
House Speaker Prospero Nograles, meanwhile, stressed Friday in a forum in Manila that there was no violation regarding Teehankee’s release, saying that President Arroyo has the authority to bestow clemency on convicts which she deems worthy to be pardoned.
He added that even justices cannot contest the President’s power regarding the matter as it is clearly stated in the Philippine Constitution.
